Page 20 of Potions & Prejudice
I cocked a brow. “You want to lie to them?”
Elm shrugged. “It’s not a lie. It’s an omission, and it’s for their own good. I have a feeling they’re not well off, and I just want to see them taken care of while they’re here. I want to see Adelaide taken care of.”
This conversation was getting tiresome. I still had to talk to Georgie about her behavior earlier, but all I really wanted to do was work on my spell. Throw myself into it and let the world and all my troubles melt away. “If they wouldn’t accept rooms at the inn, why would they take an entire house?”
“Because it’s not mine. If there just happens to be an empty cottage in the forest that doesn’t belong to anyone and needs a lot of care and attention...”
I saw where he was going with this. It wouldn’t be charity. They’d be cleaning it, maintaining it. Both of which it badly needed. I didn’t have time to do it, and no one else wanted anything to do with the cottage. Not when it was so grumpy.
“They might be doing you a favor,” Elm continued. “What if they made it livable again? You know, once upon a time, a witch lived in that cottage. Maybe it misses having residents. Maybe it just needs the right touch.”
It wasn’t a terrible idea. If they fixed it up, I could possibly rent it out once they left, but the thought of doing anything nice for Elspeth Moonflower after the way she’d treated me was unbearable.
“Please.” Elm paused. “You know, I bet it would even make Georgie happy. She loves that cottage, has been asking you to have it cleaned and restored so she can visit.”
I swore. Elm knew my weaknesses. And unfortunately, my baby sisterwas one of them. “Fine,” I said. “Offer them the cottage. But you better warn them about what they’re getting into.” I pointed at him. “And don’t involve me. The less I see of Elspeth Moonflower, the better.”
Elm’s face broke out into a wide smile. “Thank you. You won’t regret this.”
I very much doubted that.
Ten
ELSPETH
The little cottage stood in front of us, sun splicing through the canopies and lighting the meadow with golden rays. Moss clung to the roof, a thick layer that covered the entire thing, making the little two-story house look like it had sprung from the forest.
Prue marched forward, running her fingers down the vines that hung over the sides. She peered into a window, wrinkling her nose at the dirt and grime that covered it.
I arched my neck, noticing the tall stone chimney that stuck out of the roof.
“A house,” Auggie said. “An actual house.”
“We can’t accept this,” I said to Elm, who stood by Adelaide as she beamed up at him.
A bubbling brook swept past the house, and I stepped over it, boots sinking into the soft ground.
“Yes, we can.” Auggie turned to Elm. “I accept. If she won’t live here, I will.”
“Auggie,” I said, a warning in my voice.
She’d been more defiant, more outspoken, lately. It wasn’t a bad thing. I was glad she spoke her mind but not when it came to our safety.Not when it came to me trying to make the best decisions for our family.
Mama and Prue walked around the side of the house, inspecting the ferns and flowers growing in abundance.
“Adelaide, there’s an old herb garden back here!” Mama cried from the other side of the house.
My older sister loved gardening, growing her own herbs, vegetables, and fruits to use in her recipes.
“Would you like to go see it?” Elm grabbed Adelaide’s hand and helped her step over the brook like she was some dainty maiden, not a capable grown woman.
Adelaide beamed. “Maybe after we see the house?” She still clutched Elm’s hand as they walked forward, whispering to each other.
“It doesn’t make sense,” I murmured.
“What doesn’t?” Auggie said.
I gestured at the house. “What is his angle? Why is he giving us a cottage?”
